A Matter of Faith...

By Carol Round
When the Rains Come
“Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.” Deuteronomy 32:2 (NIV)

This spring, a record amount of rainfall has soaked the Midwest. In my years here, I cannot remember a wetter time. Each time I hear thunder, I think about this children’s nursery rhyme:
“It's raining, it's pouring;
The old man is snoring.
He went to bed and he bumped his head
And couldn't get up in the morning.”

During May and June, thunderstorms and drenching rains have caused widespread damage, and even a few deaths. Instead of praying for the moisture to make the crops grow, many have been pleading for it to cease.

I was at church one Saturday afternoon preparing for Bible School the following week. My two grandchildren were with me. I had given each a slice of pizza for lunch and left them sitting at a small table in the church nursery. I continued working with others, hanging decorations in anticipation of the children who would come streaming through the doors for VBS on Monday morning.

As we worked, thunder announced the arrival of another June storm and my grandchildren came screaming down the hallway. “Nana, I’m scared. The thunder is loud.”

I scooped them up in my arms and said, “You don’t need to be afraid. That’s just God talking to you.”

Of course, they were curious. “What is He saying, Nana?”

I replied, “Why He’s telling you that He’s going to send some rain.”

Like most children, their standard reply is “Why?”

“To water the flowers and the grass.”

“But why, Nana?”

“So they can grow.”

This answer seemed to satisfy my grandchildren, who consented to return to the nursery and finish their pizza. While another VBS worker and I continued hanging decorations, I would periodically check on Cheyenne and Brennan. I motioned to my co-worker to share the moment when I found the siblings, sitting side-by-side, holding hands. With their free hand, each held pizza.

This touching scene reminded me that God will bring storms into our lives. Sometimes, those storms are gully washers that threaten to sweep us off our feet and into the unknown. When that happens, we must remember that He is always there to hold our hands and see us through to the rainbow.
In the Bible, the rainbow is a symbol of the covenant between God and man, and God’s promise to Noah that He would never again flood the entire Earth. He didn’t promise us days without pain, laughter without sorrow or sun without rain. But God does promise us strength for each day, comfort for our tears and a light for our path.
While we are enduring the thunderstorms of life, God can use those times to help us grow—if we allow Him to. His word will sustain us like the rain that nurtures the flowers and plants in the fields.
What storms are you facing today? Turn to the Master of storms. He’ll see you through.
A collection of Carol Round’s most popular faith-based columns is now available in book form. For more information, readers can reach her at carolaround@yahoo.com.